Written by Ben Groenen (Raushan)

Lillane has what she needs for her part of the Circle (a bloodstone necklace), and Lucio has a fist-sized emerald (Lucifer’s Crown) for his part. Rafi has just obtained a Sliver of The Moon from the Lycanthropes. We are now going to try and get Mik’ail’s token. It is decided that since Gwyn has encountered The Templar, we will try and get his help. A note is sent to Saragossa requesting his help, and to arrange a meeting about ½ way between Saragossa and Sadaba. Our party will consist of Gwyn, Monaco and myself under an escort from the castle men-at-arms. For the sake of caution, we arrive at the rendezvous a night early.

While the rest of us are quiescent for the day, Monaco first greets some mercenaries who introduce themselves as employed by the noble and holy Don Juan Carlos Vega y Galino, before the Templar arrives with his retinue. This retinue consists of some more mercenaries and his “squire”. Juan Carlos is told that we had travelled hard to reach here and were resting for a while. As I believe he can sense that Gwyn is nearby, I expect he is not surprised that we are resting for the day.

I also expect that he is quite surprised when Gwyn and I awaken in the late afternoon. Gwyn has changed from her usual armour into a very smart ensemble … in fact, if I didn’t know her so well, I would say that she is very beautiful (?!). I have changed my appearance to that of a European Spaniard to limit this Templar’s angst to only ethical differences rather than bring along any Crusading misbelief he might have.

And just before we are to leave our hovel to meet the Templar, Gwyn warns me that she will not tolerate me baiting them! I swallow my retort, give her a strangled smile and offer my hand to escort her out. This meeting is conducted in a most civilised and amenable manner, with seats for all the major participants and suitable viands for everyone.

While mostly addressing Juan Carlos, we are mostly trying to convince his “squire”. (I must say I do find it absurd that anyone can pretend to believe this charade … well, I guess that Christianity is a sign of great gullibility!?) I find that I have to let Gwyn do most of the talking for I am actually finding it extremely difficult not to offer witticisms; Juan Carlos is of the same mould as Rollon and Gwyn (not very top-heavy, if you get my drift).

With Gwyn doing most of the talking, I find that I am the very unusual position of having to act the mediator as Gwyn is doing a very good job of causing great concern by being brutally blunt. I can’t help but snigger, the years may roll on by but some things will never change. Amazingly, in spite of everything that Gwyn said, Juan Carlos agrees to help us.

Our two parties join in a hesitant fashion. At least the notables do, but of course all the men-at-arms and mercenaries take this in their stride. We return to the castle of Sadaba and conduct our new companion to the castle’s chapel where Juan Carlos then warns us that he will summon the angel Israfel (well, he called her Raphael). We move to the far side of the chapel and Juan Carlos proceeds to pray.

When Israfel appears, she appears as the most beautiful woman ever, with spun gold hair and (something that endeared her to me) she was chuckling all the time. Looking all around at everyone, and seeming to share a private joke with every eye she caught, she then looks directly at Juan Carlos who asks her for her aid in this matter. A concerted round of quite ladylike chortling (don’t ask me how) rocks her slightly and then she leans forward, and up, at Juan Carlos and whispers to him. I cannot hear a word of what she said, but I could hear childlike choirs and very, well, angelic music everywhere. With one more look at everyone and I’m sure that was a little flash of a grin, she fades into nothing and Juan Carlos jumps up looking like he’s holding back laughter.

After asking whether he has an answer, Juan Carlos says that he is ready to see our mistress. We escort him to Lillane, who is in her solarium room. After introductions are made, he very obviously looks around and focuses his attention on a box that is sitting on the mantle. With a polite request for Lillane’s leave, he strides across and lifts it up most respectfully and then strides to Lillane and presents it to her. Of course, we had the token from the angels all along … the feather we had gotten from the Rat King! Even if we are the victims of this joke, this is truly a very delicious one. Still with a smug expression on his face, Juan Carlos pays his respects to Lillane and departs with his retinue.

We now have four of the nine required tokens for the repair of the Circle, and very little discussion is needed to decide that the next one we obtain would be Charon’s. We all know that he owes a favour for Lillane’s assistance, even though he had been setting us up. Everyone, bar Lillane and Lucio and Rollon and Tomas and I, goes out to find someone close to death to take a request to Charon to help us repair the Circle. Monaco happened to find a boy who had fallen into the river and was drowning, but he could not stand by to see him die and so saved him. Gwyn finds an old man who’s dying and asks him to pass on a request.

A few days after his death, Charon appears to Gwyn and holds out his hand, a gesture that Gwyn copies after a moment of hesitation. Charon takes her hand in his bony one, and stretching out his other hand, drops a key on a chain into it. As he fades away, Gwyn’s hand begins to go numb and so she races to find Lillane to give it to her.